Yoga for Health

What the Research Indicates

It’s taken almost a century, but Western researchers have finally determined that doing research into the health benefits of yoga is a worthy pursuit.

The birthplace of yoga, India, has led the way in scientific research. Fortunately, the findings are published in worldwide respected health journals. This more than anything is the catalyst for Western doctors and researchers to form study groups of yogis to measure the impact of practicing yoga for health.

A few findings in the past couple of years include:

• Ball State University studied 287 students through 15 weeks of yoga training, and discovered a 10 percent increase in lung capacity.

• The Northern Colorado Allergy Asthma Clinic followed a controlled group ranging in age from 19-52 for approximately four months. It concluded that yoga postures complemented asthma therapy, and in many cases, reduced the need for emergency inhalers.

• The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a division of the National Institutes of Health, is conducting ongoing research supporting the benefits of yoga for those who suffer from insomnia and acute lower-back pain. Many people have used yoga not only to ward off back pain but also to care for the back, as this DVD from famed yogi Rodney Yee instructs.

• Sat Bir Singh Khalsa, PhD, an instructor at Harvard Medical School’s Sleep Medicine Division, published a study that indicated a mere 30-45 minutes of daily yoga practice helped those with severe insomnia sleep through the night.

• Yale University School of Medicine research into yoga and cardiovascular health reports that a control group notably lowered their blood pressure in just six weeks by practicing yoga for 90 minutes per day three times a week.

• The Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California, surveyed thousands of people regarding the effects of yoga on weight loss. The results indicated that individuals who regularly incorporated yoga and meditation into their routine of a a healthy diet and exercise lost more weight than those who didn’t perform yoga.

These preliminary Western research results are helpful, as they affirm that everybody can benefit in some way from the positive attributes of moving the body daily and seeking a state of relaxation. Practicing yoga for health is a gateway to a better sense of wellbeing.

Practicing Yoga for Health

If you’re ready to use yoga as a means to enhanced health, first talk with your health practitioner. Take particular care to discuss in detail how yoga may aid or you’re your physicality. Additionally, many yoga poses have certain restrictions. Take some time to learn about the postures before performing them.

Performing certain poses places an emphasis on particular parts of the body. Here are just a few ways to consider using yoga for health improvements.

To learn more about these and other yoga for health poses and to see pictures of them, visit our Yoga Pose Gallery.

Additional Resources

Tai chi is reported to encourage better health. Read more about it at LoveToKnow Seniors.

Yoga instructors Lisa and Charles Matkin have developed the Healing Yoga DVD series, featuring sequences to alleviate conditions such as headaches and back pain, as well as assist in pain management.